A new campaign focused on youth in Douglas County aims to raise awareness against drug abuse, while also allocating dollars on treatment programs.
The county said it plans to earmark millions of dollars in state opioid settlement dollars to address drug abuse, particularly around rehabilitation resources.
“We launched a campaign not just against substance use disorder, but for something much greater – for hope, for healing, for the power of choice and for the future of every young person in our community,” Douglas County Commissioner Abe Laydon, who co-chair’s the county’s opioid council, said while announcing the campaign on Monday.
The program is also designed to provide young people a voice in the anti-drug campaign, either through social media or other mediums. In Douglas County, located south of Denver, 94% of teens never misused opioid pills, according to county officials.
Several teens who struggled with drug addiction spoke on Monday. During recovery, they said, community support is critical. Some said they began drug usage around the age of 11 or 12.
Many who spoke take part in the FullCircle, a Denver-based program that offers a rehabilitation community for teens.
At 16-years-old, Madison Scheleski, a student at Castle Rock Early Colleges charter school and part of the FullCircle program, said she is celebrating one year of drug sobriety on Friday.
Local Castle Rock Early Colleges charter school student Madison Scheleski, 16, advocates for youth opioid recovery after becoming sober in November 2024. The county launched a youth-led opioid campaign at the Douglas County Government Building on Monday, Nov. 10, in Castle Rock, Colorado (The Denver Gazette, Noah Festenstein)
After struggling with drug abuse and trauma in early years, Scheleski said she accessed withdrawal resources and surrounded herself with others who are recovering, as well.
“We’re just basically all supporting each other through sobriety, whether your story is you just used drugs a few times and dabbled here and there, or you were on the streets,” Scheleski said. “Everybody is going through something hard.”
The county’s opioid council said it will prioritize withdrawal and case management, community response team, peer support, medication and transportation for treatment.
Colorado is distributing opioid settlement funds to local governments (20%), abatement infrastructure (10%), regional initiatives (60%) and the state (10%.)
Currently, Douglas County’s opioid council has $7.26 million available for its priorities, according to its 2025-2026 spending report.
For youth efforts, Douglas County is allocating $124,000 to the Douglas County School District toward drug prevention, while $180,000 went to develop the campaign aimed at helping teens, according to Laydon.
The majority of the county’s opioid funding – some $3.4 million – will go to rehabilitation resources, while $745,318 has been earmarked for counseling and peer support, the 2025-2026 report showed.
Laydon told The Denver Gazette that rehabilitation resources, like case management services, is the county’s priority.
Addressing opioid usage revolves around perception and intervention, according to Dr. Kelli Smith, the school district’s director of health, wellness and prevention.
“We know that healthy truths reduce substance use,” Smith said. “It’s an evidence based social norm approach to substance abuse prevention and reduction of alcohol or drug use in teams.”
Misleading information, some on social media, often leads teenagers to believe that “everyone is doing it,” she said.
“Educating students, parents, schools, communities, and particularly teens, about the actual rates of teen substance use can help young people develop healthier, more realistic beliefs,” Smith said.
“You’re not alone,” Scheleski, the Castle Rock student, said in a message to young people struggling with addiction. “There are people that want to help you.”
